Campsite Guide -Oike Ikoi no mori Campsite-(Joetsu City, Kubiki-Ward)

A campsite surrounded by beautiful greenery and water!

This is a campsite in “Oike Ikoi no Mori” in Kubiki-Ward, Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture.

In Ikoi no Mori, there is a large pond with a circumference of about 3.3 km, and a small pond with a circumference of about 2.5 km. There is also a promenade that is maintained around the ponds. 　It is a place of relaxation for citizens who can enjoy camping, bird watching, walking and cycling. 　There are three campsites; No. 1, No. 3, and No. 4, on the banks of Oike(large pond). 　All locations are equipped with cooking facilities, toilets and toilet paper; perfect for beginners and families. You can use the campsite for free, but you need to register at the visitor center. * There is no No. 2 campsite.

Campsite No. 1 (200 meters from the parking lot)

It is on the south side farthest from the visitor center of the administration building. Located on a small hill surrounded by forests, you can enjoy the great outdoors. It is very quiet and you can enjoy a great view of Oike from the hill.

Toilet at the entrance of Campsite No.1

The ground is a mixture of grass and soil. Flat areas are limited.

Campsite No. 3 (50 meters from the parking lot)

When many people think of Oike, they usually think of this site. This campsite is close to parking lots and toilets, and it is popular among families. It is located on an island accessable by a bridge, and has an open space in the center. It is surrounded by ponds on all sides. The ground is grass, and it’s perfect for high-end camping and it is also a good photo spot. The holiday season is often crowded.

There is a toilet next to the parking lot

Campsite No. 4 (500 meters from the parking lot)

Campsite No. 4 is for advanced campers and is a little far from the parking lot. Go past the administration building, cross the “Deai Bridge”, and if you go a little along the mountain road, the first place you will see is the kitchen. If you go further, you will find the campsite on your left. Surrounded by forest, the site is characterized by its terraced fields. The space is not large, but it has a rustic atmosphere surrounded by forests where you can constantly hear the birds singing. The toilet is about 100 meters away from the kitchen.

The first place you will see on the way to the campsite is the kitchen

The ground is a mixture of soil and grass: rather like rice terraces in appearance.

Visitor center (administrative building)

This is “Oike Ikoi no Mori Visitor Center” in the administration building. The use of each campsite is basically free, but from April 3rd, 2021, users are asked to pay a donation of 500 yen per tent. Users of the campsite need to stop by the visitor center and register before and after their stay. The visitor center is closed on Mondays, so if you use the campsite on Mondays, please drop in the next day.

The visitor center sells firewood (800 yen per bundle) and rents bicycles for free (for adults). Beverage vending machines are installed in the facility, and freshly ground coffee is sold.

At Oike Ikoinomori Campground, there is a discount system for bathing fees at nearby hot bath facilities for campsite users. Applicable facilities are Nagamine Onsen Yuttari no Sato (Nagamine, Yoshikawa-Ward) and Unohama Ningyo-kan (Kudohama, Ogata-Ward). To use the discount system, you need to apply at the visitor center.

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Kubikino Rail Park (Click here for video)

Near the campsite, there is “Kubikino Rail Park”, which stores the trains that were active on the former Kubiki Railroad. The steam locomotive Koppel, DC92, Hoji 3 and others are open to the public at regular events. It is usually not open to the public, so if you would like to see it, please check the regular events on the homepage.

Sakaguchi Memorial Hall（Click here for the video ）

In addition, there is a museum that honors the achievements of the late Kinichiro Sakaguchi, who was born in Joetsu City, and was a world authority on applied microbiology. He was known as “Dr. Sake”. His garden is planted with 200 camellia with 110 varieties, which he liked to collect from all over the country. The camellia is in full bloom from March to April.

Scenery from the ruins of Karigane Castle (Click here for video)

On the east side of the campsite is the ruins of Karigane Castle. It is one of the 1,200 large and small castles set up to protect Kasugayama castle which was the main castle of the Sengoku warlord, Kenshin Uesugi. The castle was considered to be the last site for contacting Kasugayama castle using a signal fire. You can reach the summit in about 20 minutes. From the top, you can see not only Oike but also Naoetsu and the Sea of Japan.